Burial vault



Dec. 1s, 1934. C. E GLASS 1,984,638

BUR IAL VAULT Filed Feb. 19, 1934 Patented Dec. 18, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE BURIAL VAULT Charles E. Glass, Fort Dodge, IowaApplication February 19, 1934, Serial No. 711,956

1 Claim.

The object of my invention is to provide a burial vault which is simple,durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

More particularly, it is my object to provide 5 a burial vault havingwhat may be termed runas a means to prevent distortion of the base andinsure that it will retain its original shape.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a bottom perspective view of a burial vault embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a lateral sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the runners used on the burialvault; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 illustratingone of the latches.

On the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character B toindicate a vault base and C to indicate a front cover therefor. The baseB has end edges l and side edges 12, the portion of the baseintermediate these edges being upwardly recessed and indicated at 14.

The cover C is in most burial vaults latched in position by latcheswhich operate automatically when the cover is placed on the base. On thedrawing I have shown these latches at 16 o and consisting of dogspressed by springs 18 to engage in sockets 20 of the cover C. Guide pins22 guide the dogs in their movement and the dogs have downwardlyextending fingers 24 with which sliding wedges 26 may coact forretracting the dogs from the sockets 20. The wedges 26 are slidablymounted by means of a slot and pin connection indicated at 28--30 andhave flanges 32 adapted to be engaged by an operators fingers 34 formoving the wedges in a downward direction as shown by the arrow a inFigure when it is desired to release the dogs.

I provide a pair of runners A for the burial vault, each comprising aweb 36 and a flange 38. The flange 38 is upcurved as at 40 and 5terminates in upwardly bent anges 46.

The Webs 36 are cut away as indicated at 42 so as to t the edges of thebase B as best shown in Figure 2.

The runners A may be welded or otherwise 10 suitably secured to the baseB with the fianges 46 embedded in recesses 48 in the edges 10 of thebase.

The upcurved portions 40 enable the runners to climb up on smallirregularities and obstructions l5 as the burial vault is slid across asurface, the flanges 46 protecting the edge 10 of the base B againstdeforming this edge when striking obstructions. The flange 38 of therunner A, it will be noted, is positioned well below the bottomperipheral edge of the vault base B. This keeps the edge portions 10 and12 of the base well above a platform or the like 50 when the vaultstructure is resting thereon. This enables the operators hand 34 to beconveniently inserted beneath the vault for operating the latches ordogs 16 as illustrated in Figures 3 and 5.

Due to the T-shape construction of the runners, they provide widesurfaces for resting on a depot platform, floor or other level surface,making it much more convenient to handle a vault, especially when thereare a casket and human body within it, the vaults themselves usuallyweighing approximately four-hundred and fifty pounds.

The vault can be readily pushed into a hearse with no damage to thefinish or iioor because the runners rest upon the oor or upon therollers provided in the hearse without any injury to these parts becauseof the distribution of the weight. Preferably the runners are of metalwhich can take a smooth finish or polish so as to minimize the danger ofscraping surfaces over which they slide.

The T-shape of the runners also provides subr stantial reinforcement forthe bottom of the base 0 B after it is placed in the ground.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modifiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:-

In a burial vault construction, a vault base, a vault cover therefor anda pair of runners on said vault base extending longitudinally throughoutthe length thereof and having upcurved ends and 5 surface supportingportions intermediate said ends positioned at an elevation lower thanthe edges of said vault base to engage a grave floor or other surface onwhich the vault rests, said runners also having supporting iiangesthroughout their length extending from said surface engaging portionsupwardly to the bottom of said base and adapted, through thrust, torigidly support said bottom relative to said surface engaging portions.

CHARLES E. GLASS.

